Number of neutrons within the nucleus of the most common isotope: 78
State of matter at room temperature: Liquid
Melting point: 28.44 °C
Boiling point: 671 °C
Density: 1.93 g·cm−3
Abundance in earth’s crust: 0.00019%
Chemical Properties:
Background:
Other elements that will react with Cs: O, S, P, F, Cl, Br, I, and At, as well as acids and water (even at temperatures as low as −116 °C!)
Compounds that contain Cs: Cesium bromide is used to make radiation detectors and other measuring devices. Cesium carbonate and cesium chloride are used in the brewing of beer.
Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff first discovered Cs in the mineral water from Dürkheim (Germany) in 1860, however Carl Setterberg was the first to isolate the pure metal
The name cesium comes from the Latin word caesius, meaning “sky-blue” (after the bright blue lines in its emission spectrum)
The two main uses for Cs are: cesium formate-based drilling fluids for the extractive oil industry, and in atomic clocks
Cesium formate, dissolved or suspended in water, is used as a drilling fluid for drilling deep oil wells. Cesium formate solutions are extremely dense, allowing rock chips and dust to float to the surface from the bottom of a deep well as it is being drilled.
Cesium is also used in atomic clocks to keep time. Cesium-based atomic clocks observe electromagnetic transitions in the hyperfine structure of cesium-133 atoms and use it as a reference point. In 1967, a specific frequency from the emission spectrum of cesium-133 was chosen to be used in the definition of the second by the International System of Units.
Works Cited: "Cesium." ChemistryExplained.com. Advameg, Inc., n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2012. Gray, Theodore. "Cesium." The Photographic Periodic Table of the Elements. Wolfram Research, n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2012. Wikipedia Contributors. "Caesium." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Dec. 2012. Web. 23 Dec. 2012.
Cesium formate, dissolved or suspended in water, is used as a drilling fluid for drilling deep oil wells. Cesium formate solutions are extremely dense, allowing rock chips and dust to float to the surface from the bottom of a deep well as it is being drilled.
Cesium is also used in atomic clocks to keep time. Cesium-based atomic clocks observe electromagnetic transitions in the hyperfine structure of cesium-133 atoms and use it as a reference point. In 1967, a specific frequency from the emission spectrum of cesium-133 was chosen to be used in the definition of the second by the International System of Units.
Works Cited:
"Cesium." ChemistryExplained.com. Advameg, Inc., n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2012.
Gray, Theodore. "Cesium." The Photographic Periodic Table of the Elements. Wolfram Research, n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2012.
Wikipedia Contributors. "Caesium." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Dec. 2012. Web. 23 Dec. 2012.